Alexis Squyres was selected as an official competitor for CNC milling at the 2026 WorldSkills USA Competition in Shanghai, China from Sept. 22-27.

She is a 2023 graduate of Tamaqua Area High School and the Schuylkill Technology Center’s Precision Machine Trades program,

Squyres graduated in 2025 with a degree in computer integrated machining from Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in Lancaster.

During her time at Stevens, Squyres competed at the postsecondary SkillsUSA Pennsylvania state competition and won first place.

She also took home a bronze medal at the SkillsUSA National competition in 2024.

Squyres is a three-axis CNC programmer for Phillips Corporation, a global manufacturing solutions provider based in Greensboro, North Carolina.

“The state and national competitions taught me to constructively approach frustrations and adapt to changes,” Squyres said.

“I learned not to be set on just the goal of winning, rather take advantage of the opportunity to pick up all the details of the experience, which the WorldSkills USA team has already been echoing in me.”

CNC milling is a subset of the manufacturing process that uses computer-controlled machines to perform tasks such as cutting, drilling, shaping or grinding materials, typically metals or plastics with high precision.

The process allows automation of machine tools, enabling the production of complex and accurate parts.